Teamwork
By Togetic-anon
(This is the worst day of my life! Will Team Cozy... actually end?)
I try and shake those deplorable thoughts out of my head. Earlier in the day, I found out that Chespin had gotten so sick that he's unable to get out of bed. No medicine or treatment me or Kina attempted would work. After digging around in the guild's library for hours, trying to find any information on a cure for Chespin's condition, I came up with nothing.
(I can't give up this easily. There should be some traders at port today, if no one from Capim knows how to cure this, maybe a traveling trader will?)
Wanting to avoid the bustle of town, I head to the guild's rooftop, and launch myself into the air with a strong flap of my wings. The sky is completely clear, and I orient myself in the air so I can easily glide down to the dock while looking down at Capim below me. (My flying isn't perfect yet... but at least I've gotten better at gliding like this.)
It isn't long before I'm soaring over Capim's docks, and I circle around a few times as I slowly lower my altitude and land on the edge of one of the wharves. The sounds of the waves hitting against the wooden beams of the dock get drowned out by the sounds of various large Pokemon help load and unload crates onto the moored ships.
(Pretty busy today... Would've preferred if it was quieter. But maybe this is a good thing, I'm more likely to find someone who knows how to cure Chespin.)
Taking a deep breath, I hop off the ground and float above the Pokemon handling the day's cargo. I see the usual regulars that come through to get supplies or sell goods from Capim. Their chatter and yells make my head start to ache, but I fight through it to try and focus in on any conversations that might have information I need.
(... New order of fabric? Probably for Ariados. Set of bar stools for the Blue Claw Inn? Wonder which guildmember had their heads broken over the old ones.)
A coarse, ragged-sounding female voice catches my attention. It echoes in my mind with a pang of familiarity. As I turn to find the source, I see a particularly ancient looking Delphox with an oversized satchel, wearing a thick pink scarf that almost looks as old as she is. She's hunched over, and the wooden staff she's leaning against looks like the only thing stopping her from falling helplessly on the ground.
I sit myself on a nearby box of cargo as I stare at the aged Pokemon. (No wonder she seemed familiar to me, I've seen her here before. She's not a regular, but seems to come through here every once in a while. An old hag like her should be in a retirement home instead of running around with whatever shipments she's ordering.)
Now that I'm closer, I can see she's talking to a Dipplin. "Sure ya' don't need any help, Madam? We don't wanna seem rude, but we reckon that crate is a bit much for you to carry. One o' my Machoke buddies could help!" The Dipplin says somewhat slowly, as if he's trying to make sure the Delphox can understand him.
"Oh... that's very... sweet of you, darling..." The Delphox keeps looking around in the Dipplin's general direction, but never directly at him. "But I... assure you, my dear... this 'ere crate is... lighter, than it looks..."
The Dipplin's wary stare makes him look unconvinced. "A-Are you sure about that? It would really be no bother at all! Look..."
As the Dipplin continues to try and force his hospitality upon the Delphox, the old lady ignores him and looks around the area. Her mouth hangs agape as her gaze slowly shifts from one focus to another. (Man, maybe I should call Officer Magnezone. This witch looks like she'll stumble off the dock and melt into the water.)
As if in reaction to my thought, the Delphox's eyes end up locking with mine, and we stare at each other. Her half-open eyelids make it hard to gauge what's going on in her head.
Our momentary staring contest is broken by a loud thump coming from the Delphox's crate, causing it to jostle slightly. The old lady turns her attention back to the Dipplin as he starts ordering an unsure Machoke to pick up her cargo.
"Ye' youngun's... are too nice... 'ow could I... repay 'ye..." The fox Pokemon starts looking through her bag as the Machoke hesitantly picks up the mysteriously quavering box. "Hmmm... a gold ribbon...? Or... wouldye' prefer... a gummi...? How about... some... medicine...?"
(Huh?!) "W-wait!" I stumble when trying to jump off my perch, and end up slamming face-first into the ground at the Delphox's feet.
Lifting my head, I notice the Delphox offering me her quivering hand. "Well... hello there, little one..."
"O-oh... th-thank you." I take her hand, and she sluggishly pulls me up with a taxing expression on her face. (If I wasn't so light, I probably would've made her arm pop out of its socket.) "Th-thank you, Miss..."
"Just... call me Delphox, lad..." She gives me a pat on the head, though her hand almost misses my head a few times. "Now... did'ye want somethin'...?"
(Here goes.) "W-well... I'm Toge. I-I'm a member o-of the Clover Guild, a-and o-one of our m-members is d-dreadfully s-sick." I explain the situation to her, and she cocks her head curiously. "D-do you th-think y-your medicine c-could help c-cure it?"
The Delphox scratches her chin. "Hehe... ye're certainly... forward..." She digs into her bag with her free hand and pulls out some papers. With a quick stomp of her staff, the papers leave her hand and float in front of her face. "Les'see 'ere... hmm..." Using slight tilts of her staff, the suspended documents shuffle themselves in front of Delphox. "... I suppose... I might know... one 'er two... Pokemon... that could get... what yer after."
"Th-thank you!" I float up to grab the paper currently floating in front of Delphox's face that I assume has the contact. Before I can reach it, she twists her staff gently, and the paper bursts into flames!
"Now, now... I don' want'ta ask... too much of ye... but I think a spry an' able-bodied lad... such as yerself... might be able 'ta gimmie a hand... with somethin'..." The embers from the burned papers circle through the air, and reform into a stable orb of fire at the top of the Delphox's staff. She stares deeply into the flame, its flickering embers reflecting off her glossy eyes.
(Should've known she was just going to thrust her problems onto me. Goddammit.) "O-of course. I-I would be happy t-to help."
"Yes... Wot a good lad... I knew... ye' would agree..." She smiles as her eyes remain intensely focused on the flames of her staff. "Ye'ssee... I work for 'ta Federation... an' we've been tryin'... 'ta pin down... a smugglin' ring..."
(... Wait, what? This sack of bones is part of the Federation!? Maybe they don't offer a retirement pension.) "Th-that... seems l-like a pretty big r-request for someone y-you just met. Y-you did hear that I-I'm part of the C-Clover Guild, right? Not Wigglytuff's?"
"My... hearin' ain't gone yet, sonny... in fact..." Her eyes shift to lock with mine. "... I think... ye're perfect... for 'ta job..."
"I-I implore you t-to reconsider-"
"So... modest... but 'oo else would... be better 'ta steal... some stolein' goods back..." With another stomp of her staff, a large paper flies out of her bag, and hovers in front of my face. "... Than an' outlaw?"
It's one of my wanted posters.
(... Fuck.)
"If ye are willin'... 'ta take my offer... I might... misplace... a bounty record..." The wanted poster burns to cinders, leaving its ashes at my feet. "An' ye would... be gettin' yer medicine too... of course..."
Remembering we're in public, I glance around to see if anyone is listening. Thankfully, the Dipplin from earlier is busy ordering his Machoke around. "... W-Would this g-get teams like Team Sh-Shogun off m-my trail?"
"Well... those fellows... seem mighty persistent... but if they were 'ta try somethin' again... they would... be in trouble for hurtin'... an' honest, law-abidin' member of a guild..."
I fiddle with the lily attached to my scarf. (... Committing a crime to get my previous crimes cleared, what a joke. I wanted to escape this... but I suppose if it's for a good cause... maybe there's no harm in it?) "... G-Give me the d-details of the j-job."
Delphox cracks a crooked smile. "I knew ye' seemed... like a reliable lad. Hold out... yer hands..." A line of papers fly out of her bag like a segmented snake, sliding into a hefty, uniform stack into my outstretched hands. "All 'ta info... ya' should need... is there... oh... an' just as a bit o' unrelated... advice... leakin' Federation secrets... is a high crime..."
"I-I don't e-even know h-how I would d-do that. All y-you gave me i-is a st-stack of kindling."
"Attaboy... Keheheh..." She chuckles with a serene, innocent smile.
A loud CRASH farther down the dock grabs our attention. The Machoke from earlier has dropped the crate he was carrying, and a Porygon-Z bursts out of it! It zips around erratically, startling nearby Pokemon, before darting away towards Capim Town.
"Oh... dear..." Delphox sighs. "Looks like... I need ta'... attend... to my cargo... farewell, sonny..."
With a polite nod, Delphox departs and slowly hobbles away in the direction of the escaped Porygon-Z. I stare at the massive stack of parchment in my hands as the usual noise of the docks washes over me once again.
(... What have I just gotten myself into...?)
* * *
"This damn thing is relentless!"
I dodge between trees as I attempt to escape my pursuer. Under some branches, over some dense shrubbery... but nothing trips it up. I can still hear its ungodly noises as it continues to chase me down. It's an overwhelming mish-mash of static, unnerving voice clips, and mechanical noises that can only be described as the sounds a dying printer would make. Of all creatures I've encountered, this twitchy collection of pink and blue oval shapes is the most creepy. And just when I'm thinking I'm starting to get used to these freaks...
My sprint leads me to an open path through the forest. I decide to book it down the path. The flat terrain will slow me down less, and it's clear I'm not going to lose this monster by trying to hide from it. I'll need to rely on pure speed.
The wretched cacophony coming from the creature grows slightly more distant. Am I finally getting some distance on it? I turn my head to look back for a moment, and feel my foot suddenly slam into an outgrown root!
I crash into the ground, and the incomprehensible racket encroaches on me as I drag myself up. I turn around, and find the spastic monster right in front of me. I place my hands on my shells as I stare into the thing's "eyes". Before I can strike, a pale blue glow envelops me, and the creature stays unusually still as its head tilts up and down, as if it's looking me over. Then a moment later, the glow disappears, and a garbled mess of noise emanates from the monster.
BZZT/S///DATA CR1TER1A=M@TCH
CH3CK1NG...
ERR0R ERR0R
ERR0R=P01NT3R ERR0R
After a few more spasms, the monster floats away at high speed back into the forest, its noises fading away.
"... The hell...?" I rub my forehead as I check my body to make sure that thing didn't do anything weird to me. I feel completely normal, and there aren't any new marks on me, so what was that all about? Oh hell, I should know by now to stop questioning this kinda stuff. Better to just move on.
I turn and see there's another Pokemon on the path in front of me. It's a tall, skinny humanoid fox-like creature, who walks hunched over with a large walking stick. The thick, faded pink scarf wrapped around its neck makes me guess it's an old lady. As she gets closer, I can see she also carries a big satchel. Now, I don't like stealing from the elderly, but there's no one else around, and I've been running low on supplies...
Just as I'm about to pass her, she tilts her head up at me. The fur around her eyes is darkened like that of an aged dog's. When she speaks, her voice is slow, rough, and croaky. "Oh... hello there, dear..." She squints and stares at me for a few seconds before continuing. "My, what a... handsome young'un... do ye mind... helpin' a wee ol' lady...?"
Something makes all thoughts about robbing this poor lady disappear from my head, now replaced with a feeling of pity. As I look closer at her, I can see her frail body is constantly shaking, only making me feel more guilt for my previous thoughts. "What can I help ya' with, madam?" I say with a bow.
"Oh my, what... a gentleman..." A slight smile cracks across the Delphox's face. "But... hrmm... I suppose... it might not be best... to ask of help from you..."
"Don't worry," I offer up a hand to the lady. "You shouldn't be afraid of askin' me for help, I'm in no rush."
"Really...? Because... ye seemed in quite the hurry... earlier..."
I feel some blood rush to my face. I hope this lady didn't see my stumble. "... Was jus' tryin' to get some exercise."
The Delphox smirks. "Exercise...? Well, I can help ye with that!"
With one swift, elegant movement, the Delphox does a low sweeping slash with her staff, knocking me off my feet! I land on my side, and roll away before picking myself up and putting up my firsts. "Not bad for an ol' hag..."
She cackles at my response. Her posture and aura have completely changed. She now stands up straight with a proud sense of dignity, and the way her scarf billows in the wind almost makes her look like royalty. When she speaks, her voice is now eloquent and prideful. "Not bad? Big talk for someone who can't stop taking dirt naps. It's pathetic that you think you even compare to me."
Something about her voice... For some reason, it sends a shiver down my spine. Who is this woman? "Sorry, guess I just don't make it a habit to fight old ladies." I charge in and go for a gut punch, but the Delphox side-steps it and retaliates with a swipe from her staff. I block it by lifting up my arm, and keep the pressure on by advancing and throwing out some jabs. She manages to keep enough distance for all of my punches to whiff, and with her taller stature, having this sort of positioning puts me at risk of getting out-ranged by any sort of counter-attack. But she doesn't take the obvious opportunity, and just keeps dancing just out of my reach.
This bitch is just toying with me! I put less effort into my punches to save some energy, and decide to plan for something risky. I make a sudden dash towards a tree, run up it, jump off, and flip myself around in the air to send a flying kick directly into the Delphox's face!
... However, my momentum is stopped by the Delphox grabbing my foot out of the air.
"Predictable."
She slams me into the ground. My body aches as I hear her sigh. "Capoeira, really? What are you, a Mexican jumping bean? Stick with boxing instead of that faggot shit." While crawling myself up, she kicks my side, sending me sprawling onto my back.
When I see her looking down at me, that's when it hits me.
Her perfect posture.
Her contemptuous voice.
Her disappointed stare.
It... it couldn't be...
"M... Mother...?"
Her face instantly softens up. "I was wondering when you would realize, Dewey. Didn't think I'd ever see you again."
My mind goes blank as she kneels and offers her hand. She helps me off the ground, while I just stare at her with my mouth agape. "But... but... you're dead! I... I saw you die! I was at your bedside! I was at your funeral! How...!?"
She laughs. "Yeah, that's the question, isn't it?"
I can't comprehend it. It's really her. But wait, if she's dead, then...
"N-no..."
I clutch my head in my hands.
Ever since I've woken up here with Aled, I've had one constant unanswered question.
How did we get here?
And now, before me, stands the worst possible answer.
"Dewey?"
"No... NO!"
I'm dead.
"It CAN'T be! I... WHY!?"
And if I'm dead...
Aled is...
"NOOOOOO!"
SMACK
I'm shaken back to reality with a sharp, but all too familiar pain across my face.
"My God, I don't remember raising such a damn pussy." Mother says as she raises he hand in preparation for another slap.
I rub my face and speak up before I can get hit again. "Sorry, Mother... This is just... A lot to take in-"
Mother rolls her eyes. "Look, if you're worried about being dead, there's a chance you aren't."
"Huh?"
"While I've been here, I've been curious about exactly how humans enter this world." She says as she rummages through her satchel. "There's legends of humans who came here leaving to go home, and they can't exactly do that if they're dead. There's a decent chance of you still being alive back in the human world, so quit acting like a baby."
I might not be dead...? "W-wait, hold on, I still don't like those odds-"
"Tough shit." Mother says plainly. "And since when did you ever care if the odds were in your favor? Last I checked, you nearly bankrupted our family name. Multiple times."
My cheeks flush. The memories brought back by Mother's disparagement make me feel like I'm back in the real world for a moment. "Well, you'll be happy to know I've still managed to avoid bankruptcy while you've been gone."
"Oh, I'm so proud." Mother scoffs. "Clearly you haven't been able to avoid it here with that tattered rag you wear."
I gaze down at my cloak. The patches from when Melody fixed it up have grown faded. "Hah, you see..." My voice trails off. As much as my heart wants to indulge in more familiar carefree banter, my mind is still full of a million questions, and it's ready to burst. "Mother... I... I don't even know where to start. It's... good to see you again."
My voice almost cracks, and Mother gets down on one knee so she can be eye level with me. "Same to you, Dewey. I can tell this world has been hard on you and Aled."
"You don't even know the half of it... Wait, how do you know Aled is here too!?"
Mother stands up and shrugs her shoulders. "Oh, I just had a pleasant chat with him earlier. Sent him to do a little errand for me."
"You WHAT?!"
"He seemed like he could handle it."
"Wh-where did you send him?!"
"Quit being such a damn worrywart, I wouldn't send my own grandson on something dangerous. He's just off to collect some goods."
"Still, where-"
"He's going to have other guildmembers with him. Don't embarrass yourself again."
"You... know about all of that?" For once, I'm glad my body is covered in fur, so Mother can't keep seeing me turn red.
She stomps her staff, and a wanted poster of me comes flying out. "Dewott the Dastardly... Pah. It pains me to see my son become such a base criminal."
"As far as I'm concerned, I'm the only one in the right. Those monsters can call me whatever they want, but I'm going to get Aled back, and get home."
"Attaboy." Mother's face breaks into a satisfied smile. "I expected nothing less. Now I'd love to keep catching up, but as a rather important member of the Federation, I'm a busy lady."
"You work for the Federation!?" I'm starting to get tired of being shocked by Mother's reveals. "You help those monsters-"
"It's all in the name of helping myself, dear." Mother waves her staff, and a new paper flies out of her bag. "Speaking of helping myself, could you do one little request for me?"
I grab the paper and give it a read. "Lost Togetic...?"
"Before you ask, it's not Aled. It's some brat from a Togekiss Clan that's gotten herself lost in a nearby forest. Normally, I wouldn't bother with a pointless mission like this, but there's been a number of young Pokemon disappearing in the area as of late, so the Federation wants someone looking into it. I figure with your experience at attempting to rescue children, you would be perfect for the job... Kehehehah!"
With a growl, I crumple up the paper and throw it behind me. "Sorry Mother, but I ain't gonna do your busywork. There's still so much we need to talk about-"
"Another time." Mother says as she turns away from me. "Don't worry, son. We'll meet again." She throws a Warp Seed into her mouth, and is enveloped in a flash of light.
"Wait, MOTHER!"
It's too late, she's gone. I'm left alone on the forest path, with the light breeze rustling through the leaves being the only thing that pierces the silence. I finally met one of my family once again in this cursed world, only for her to leave as quickly as she appeared.
Maybe I am really dead, and this is just hell. At this point, I'd believe it.
I feel something hit my foot. It's the mission paper I crumpled up earlier, blown into me by the wind. Saving these monsters... Hah! Like I'd ever do something like that. Dumb kid's probably already dead, and with how stupid these monsters are there's no telling how many more of them will die to whatever's in that forest.
Chuckling to myself, I continue down the path.
Before changing course and bolting off to try and save that Togetic.
* * *